Get 100% Salary increment - Sample Letter

Get 100% Salary increment

Spoken English Part 18

British English and American English

British people and American people can always understand each other – but there are a few notable differences between British English and American English
Grammar


Americans use the present perfect tense less than speakers of British English and a British teacher might mark wrong some things that an American teacher would say are correct.


US Did you do your homework yet?


Brit. Have you done your homework yet?


US I already ate.


Brit. I’ve already eaten.


In British English, ‘have got’ is often used for the possessive sense of ‘have’ and ‘have got to’ is informally used for ‘have to’. This is much less common in American English.


Brit. I’ve got two sisters.


US I have two sisters.


Brit. I’ve got to go now.


US I have to go now.


There are a number of other minor grammatical differences.
Vocabulary


There are a lot of examples of different words being used in British and American English. Here are a few of the commonest.


angry (Brit.) = mad (US)


autumn = fall


boot (of a car) = trunk


chemist’s = drug store


cupboard = closet


flat = apartment


lift = elevator


nappy = diaper


pavement = sidewalk


petrol = gas/gasoline


rubbish = trash


tap = faucet


trousers = pants


There are British words which many Americans will not understand and vice versa. There are also words 


which exist in both British and American English but have very different meanings.
Spelling


There are also a number of different spelling rules between British English and American English.


1 Some words that end in ‘-tre’ in British English end in ‘-ter’ in American English.


US theater, center


Brit. theatre, centre


2 Some words that end in ‘-our’ in British English end in ‘-or’ in American English.


US color, labor


Brit. colour, labour


3 Some words are shorter in American English than in British English.


US catalog, program


Brit. catalogue, programme


There are other minor spelling differences between British and American English.

No comments:

Post a Comment

new year greetings 2025

  1. For Someone You Admire "As we enter 2024, I want you to know how much I admire your strength, kindness, and wisdom. You inspire ev...